Higher global temperatures mean the intertropical convergence zone could shift south — throwing off precipitation trends for a major swath of humanity, according to new research.

The new study, published May 14 in the journal Earth’s Future, looked at what would happen should global temperatures swell to 2.7 F (1.5 C), even for just a few decades.

Such an increase in global temperature could have a permanent impact on the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), a region near the equator where trade winds from the northern and southern hemispheres meet, the study found.

The ITCZ has a heavy influence on rainfall patterns, and the increase in global temperatures could cause it to shift south, changing the length and intensity of wet and dry seasons, especially in parts of Africa, the Amazon and Southeast Asia. Too much rain in some areas and not enough in others could have dire effects on agriculture, ecosystems and water availability for a major portion of the planet.